It’s time to come together in our circle again.
February’s assignment was The (Dance) Things I Love. Before I get to our blog post roundup, I’d be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to mention all the fantastic sponsors of our recently wrapped LOVE Our Readers week of giveaways. Each one produces dance “things” I really do love!
Thanks so much to:
Bloggers in the Circle:
I love the variety of ways bloggers chose to present the dance things they love for this month’s roundup.
Ode to the foam roller
DA Columnist Lauren Warnecke spends her mornings teaching Weight Training and Aerobic Conditioning classes. In her personal blog, One Crafty Lady, she shares an uncouth and humorous look at her love/hate relationship with Pilates and the foam roller that nearly did her in…. in a good way.
Come on, get happy!
Black Sheep, author of Barre Barre Black Sheep, finds that dancing affords her “Inner Dancing Peace,” not to be confused with the “World Peace” hoped for by beauty queens across the land. All dancers love when they nail a tricky combination or execute a flawless pirouette, but sometimes happiness comes from the little things, like tutus and legwarmers.
How much do I love dance? Let me count the ways…
Leigh of Ballet Class with Leigh (Los Angeles) expresses the joy of returning to ballet class after injury and encourages dancers who have been away from the studio to come back and feel the joy again.
Things I Love About Teaching Dance
The things Sheena Jeffers of Ballet Shoes & Bobby Pins loves about teaching dance are endless… but here she lists just a few! She also wants to know what YOU love about being a dance educator.
Betwixt and Between
Jacqui, of Access Dance For Life says this is one of her favorite posts. It’s actually a repost from her first (more personal) blog and is her favorite because it’s a reverse teaching lesson. “My students not only surprised me, but gave me a new perspective on dance and music,” she explains.
The Dance Things I Love (in no particular order)
Cait of The Dance Buzz lists her favorite dance things, from turns in tap shoes to clean mirrors at the studio. Her take on dance “things” is not about the material objects, but the little things in life that make dance the best thing of all.
These Are A Few Of The Things That I Love
Get to know Maria, of Maria’s Movers, a little bit better as she lists a few things she loves about dance; some obvious, and some new! She also wants to know a few of the dance things YOU love.
Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes
The Pointe Project follows one stay at home mom as she tries to get en pointe. This post reveals just one of the many things she loves about ballet.
So, here are 10 dance things I love:
- I love the thrill of that moment, just before making an entrance on stage, when you know there’s no turning back.
- I love watching understanding and satisfaction dawn on the face of my students, especially after meeting a challenge.
- I love the uninhibited free dancing of preschoolers (including my preschooler at home).
- I love those occasions when everyone in an improvisation jam finds the same frequency and the world seems to stop spinning so as to observe the significance of this bit of time.
- I love the point when exhaustion crosses over to exhilaration.
- I love when a student (or a reader) takes the time to say “thank you.”
- I love that dance can and frequently does make something else easier to explain, or understand.
- I love collaborating with others to turn movements and phrases and meaning upside-down and inside-out, unlocking the dance that’s inside the choreography.
- I love watching a performance and receiving a jolt of excitement when I realize I’ve never seen that before.
- I love and am honored to be one small part of a vibrant, energetic, spirited community.
Marching Onward
Circle Time for March is a bit more specific. Let’s see what you do with this one:
WHAT I LEARNED FROM A PERFORMANCE FAIL
Show a little L – O – V – E
L – Lights
O – Ovations
V – Victories (even the small ones)
E – Energy
Instead of asking what dance things you love (I want you to answer at the blogs above)… hey, that rhymes,
I thought it might be fun to see what you come up with when limited to the letters L-O-V-E.
You know, Nat King Cole style.
Add your L-O-V-E (or anything else you’d like to toss in) to the comments.
Nichelle Suzanne is a writer specializing in dance and online content. She is also a dance instructor with over 20 years experience teaching in dance studios, community programs, and colleges. She began Dance Advantage in 2008, equipped with a passion for movement education and an intuitive sense that a blog could bring dancers together. As a Houston-based dance writer, Nichelle covers dance performance for Dance Source Houston, Arts+Culture Texas, and other publications. She is a leader in social media within the dance community and has presented on blogging for dance organizations, including Dance/USA. Nichelle provides web consulting and writing services for dancers, dance schools and studios, and those beyond the dance world. Read Nichelle’s posts.
